Both aspiring and experienced world travelers gathered in the Grand Ballroom at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union for the Fall 2018 Study Abroad Fair on Sept. 5.

The event ran from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and featured representatives from numerous study abroad programs on campus.

Information about trips to Costa Rica, Germany, England, Ireland, China and more was made available to all attendees.

Whether students wanted to travel for an entire semester or for just a few weeks over the summer, there were plenty of options to choose from.

A.J. Walsh, communication studies professor, was at the fair providing information about her summer trip to Ireland, North Ireland and Scotland.

This upcoming trip will be Walsh’s sixth with the study abroad program, and she said she certainly recommends every student consider studying abroad.

“Every single person who comes back from the trip says it was a life-changing experience and they couldn’t believe they ever considered not going,” Walsh said.

She also had some advice for any students still on the fence about studying abroad.

“When you’re young, you don’t have any money, but you have time. When you’re older, you have the money, but you don’t have any time,” Walsh said. “But there’s only one of those things you can borrow.”

Loans are an option for students wanting to take advantage of the study abroad programs, but they’re not the only option.

Carson Gordon, a sophomore political science major, was stationed at a booth speaking with students about a trip to Italy, where she studied abroad this past summer. Money was a concern for her when deciding whether to go.

“I don’t know how I’m going to pay for this,” she said she remembers thinking. “I almost just said, ‘OK, I’m not going to go.’”

But she examined her options and found a way to make it work.

“The major thing is applying for scholarships, talking to the financial aid office and the study abroad office, and really just do your research,” Gordon said. “Eastern makes it accessible for everyone to get to come on these trips.”

Gordon said she remembers her trip very fondly.

“Not only do you learn a lot about the cultures,” she said, “but you also get to know a lot of people at Eastern.”

Gordon said she made friends on her trip that she would not have otherwise met.

Maya Hunter, a junior political science major, and Wyatt Orwick, a senior finance major, were at the fair. Hunter said she has already been on a few study abroad trips already.

“They’ve just been so much fun that I want to come and do another one as soon as I can,” Hunter said.

Orwick said he is studying entrepreneurship and is looking for a trip to take for his senior seminar. Ireland is high on his list due to its growth and entrepreneurship opportunities.

“It has some of the highest growth potential for millennials, and the highest entrepreneurship growth rates in the world,” he said.

Students interested in studying abroad can find information at abroad.eiu.edu.

Registration deadlines and descriptions of the programs can be found there, as well as contact information for the study abroad office and financial aid options.

Adam Tumino can be reached at 581-2812 or at ajtumino@eiu.edu.